Method and plant for packaging a sterile or non-sterile, liquid or semi-liquid, foodstuff product or the like in a flexible bag

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for packaging a sterile or non-sterile liquid or semi-liquid, food product or the like, in a flexible bag ( 11 ). 
     In this method, through a first rotary table with multiple stations ( 7 ) for taking over, successively and continuously, the flexible bags ( 1 ) from a table or a supply conveyor ( 6 ), a flexible bag ( 1 ) is continuously placed at the level of a filling station ( 81, 82, 83, 84 ) of a second rotary table ( 9 ) with multiple filling stations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method for packaging a sterile or non-sterile liquid or semi-liquid, food product or the like, in a flexible bag.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

Different solutions have been adopted until now for packaging a liquid or semi-liquid product in a flexible bag, whether it is a foodstuff or non-foodstuff, or whether it is subjected to sterilization constraints.

It is common to make these flexible bags, also referred to as “wine skins”, by superimposing and welding single-layer or multilayer films. These wine skins are then connected to each other through a pre-cutting line, so as to form a strip. The latter facilitates the feeding of wine skins into the unit designed to ensure their filling at the factory manufacturing the product they should contain. During their production, these flexible bags are each provided with a plug in which a distribution tap is partially snapped-in.

Thus, at the unit for filling the wine skins, a first operation consists in removing the tap from the plug through which the product is then injected into the wine skin. In a next operation, the tap is re-inserted into the plug for complete snapping-in.

In this respect, it should be noted that from FR-2,882,028 is known a method for packaging, in a flexible bag, liquid or semi-liquid, foodstuff or non-foodstuff, sterile or non-sterile products, consisting in continuously manufacturing a strip of several lines of flexible bags by superimposing and welding at least two films made out of a suitable synthetic material. Each of these flexible bags is simply equipped with a plug for the filling and aimed at receiving thereafter a stopper, which is aimed at facilitating the conditioning of this strip for its conveying to the filling site. There, it is inserted into a cutting unit, in order to separate the flexible bags, which are directly received by a rotary table with multiple filling stations.

In this prior document, it is contemplated to mount in a permanent way a stopper on said plug of a wine skin only when the latter has been filled.

As regards in particular the taking over of the wine skins for their filling, after separation of the bags from each other from the strip they are initially integral with, the plug of each of these bags is positioned directly under a filling station of the rotary table. It is thus necessary for a clamp to seize the plug of a wine skin arranged on the table or the conveyor which ensures its conveying after separation and for the centering of the plug of this flexible bag under the head of the filling station to occur simultaneously.

One understands that the multiplicity of tasks to be ensured at the taking over of a wine skin results into considerably limiting the production rates. It should be recalled that the rotary filling table preferably operates continuously, which a supply that is inevitably discontinuous should coincide with.

The difficulty is increased because of the properties of the package to be filled, namely a flexible bag. This can be taken up only through its plug. If such a plug has a certain height, facilitating its seizing, when it is designed to be pre-provided with a tap before the filling of the wine skin, in the event a solution in conformity with the one described in FR-2.882.028 is adopted, this plug is of a lower height, which results into some advantages, but also into drawbacks, since it makes even more random the transfer of a wine skin from the table or the supply conveyor to a station of the rotary filling table.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to cope with this problem of the supply of a rotary filling table with multiple filling stations with flexible bags.

To this end, the invention relates to a method for packaging a sterile or non-sterile, liquid or semi-liquid, food product or the like, in a flexible bag, wherein through a first rotary table with multiple stations for taking over, successively and continuously, flexible bags from a table or a supply conveyor, a flexible bag is placed continuously at the level of a filling station of a second rotary filling table with multiple filling stations.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a flexible bag taken up by a station of the first rotary table at a substantially zero speed is placed at the level of a filling station of the second rotary filling table.

Finally, within the framework of a first inventive step, it has been contemplated to ensure the taking over of a wine skin by the rotary filling table not at the nearly-static state, starting from a table or a supply conveyor, but in a state of synchronized movement, which movement is imparted to this wine skin by a first rotary table.

Through this synchronization of the movements it is easy to position the filling plug of the wine skin centrally under the filling head of a given station, even before the latter ensures the direct taking over of this wine skin.

In brief, a station on the first rotary table can release a flexible bag it has taken up, from the table or the supply conveyor, only when this flexible bag is perfectly positioned and is capable of being taken over by a filling station of the second rotary filling table.

The invention also relates to a packaging plant for implementing the method, comprising a first rotary table with multiple stations for taking over successively and continuously flexible bags from a table or a supply conveyor and a second rotary filling table with multiple filling stations for successively and continuously filling flexible bags conveyed through the first table.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the first rotary table comprises a number of stations for taking over a flexible bag identical to the number of filling stations of the rotary filling table.

In particular, the first rotary table cooperates, through a junction area, with the second rotary table, a flexible bag, in particular the filling plug of the latter being subjected to a substantially zero speed with respect to said first and second rotary table by passing at the level of this junction area.

In brief, if we take as a reference the plug of a flexible bag, the latter is subjected, through the first rotary table, to a rotation speed identical and in opposite direction to the rotation speed that this plug is subjected by the second table, so that at the level of the junction area said plug is subjected by either table to a substantially identical tangential speed.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description, which relates to an exemplary embodiment given by way of an indication and in a non-restrictive way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This description will be better understood when referring to the single FIGURE of the attached drawing, which represents a schematic and plan view of the plant according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a method for packaging a sterile or non-sterile, liquid or semi-liquid, foodstuff or non-foodstuff product in a flexible bag.

In particular, such flexible bags 1 are usually made by superimposing and welding at least two films made out of a suitable material, one of which is provided with a plug 2 designed to receive a distribution tap.

It should be noted, in this respect, that during the manufacturing of these flexible bags 1, the distribution tap can be pre-mounted into the plug 2, so that during the filling and during a first operation, this tap is first of all removed, before the filling operation itself occurs.

Once the latter is finished, this tap is permanently re-inserted into the plug.

Another solution consists in permanently providing the plug 2 with the distribution tap only when the filling has been carried out.

Very often the flexible bags 1 are manufactured on a manufacturing site, which is not the filling site. Therefore, these flexible bags are manufactured and conditioned in the form of strips comprising a line, preferably several lines of flexible bags, eventually separated from each other through pre-cutting lines.

As clearly appears from FR-2,882,028, a strip with several lines of wine skins is easier to be conditioned for transport to the filling site. In addition, on this site, the supply of the filling unit with such a strip of with multiple lines of flexible bags proves of a higher performance, in all cases capable of meeting higher production rates.

Thus, as can be seen for example in the FIGURE of the attached drawing illustrating the packaging plant 3 allowing implementing the method according to the invention, said strip 4, here comprising four lines 41, 42, 43, 44 of flexible bags 1, supplies a cutting unit 5 through which these flexible bags 1 are separated, then pushed onto a table or a supply conveyor 6. Thus, this cutting unit 5 can for example separate from the strip, through a transverse cutting, the first line of flexible bags 1, which are then be separated through successive longitudinal cuttings.

Of course, these longitudinal and transverse cuttings can eventually be performed simultaneously.

In any case, according to the packaging method of the invention, through a first rotary table with multiple stations 7 for successively and continuously taking over the flexible bags 1 from the table or supply conveyor 6 a flexible bag 1 is continuously placed at the level of a filling station 8 of a second rotary filling table 9 with multiple filling stations 81, 82, 83, 84.

According to a peculiarity of the invention, a flexible bag 1 is continuously placed at a substantially zero relative speed at such filling stations 81, 82, 83, 84 of said second rotary table 7.

Advantageously, through a station for taking over 101, 102, 103, 104 of the first rotary table 7 is ensured the centering of the plug 2 of a flexible bag 1 under the head of a filling station 81, 82, 83, 84 of the second rotary table 9 before the taking over of this flexible bag 1 by this filling station 81, 82, 83, 84 occurs.

As can be seen in FIG. 8 of the attached drawing, the first 7 and second rotary table 9 are in co-operation with each other at the level of a junction area 12, knowing that a flexible bag 1, when it arrives in this junction area 12, is subjected to a relative speed of movement inclined towards zero with respect to each of said rotary tables 7, 9. More specifically, a flexible bag 1 is taken over by the first rotary table 7 through its plug 2, which becomes the reference for the displacement of this flexible bag 1 with respect to each table 7, 9 and, in this case, with respect to the second rotary table 9 in the junction area 12.

Preferably, in order to achieve this aim, the tangential speed of the plug 2 of a flexible bag 1 is virtually identical in the junction area 12, whether with respect to the first rotary table or to the second rotary table 7, 9.

Thus, according to an advantageous, but non-restrictive embodiment, the first rotary table 7 comprises a number of stations for taking over 101, 102, 103, 104 identical to the number of filling stations 81, 82, 83, 84 of the second rotary filling table 9. Each station for taking over 101, 102, 103, 104 comprises, more specifically, a clamp 13 through which a flexible bag 1 can be taken up from the table or the supply conveyor 6, this clamp 13 seizing more specifically the plug 2.

Through a continuous rotation of the first rotary table 7, this station for taking over 101, 102, 103, 104 and, therefore, the plug 2 of the previously seized flexible bag 1, arrives in the area of junction 12 with the second rotary table 9, which also brings, through continuous rotation, a filling station 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 at the level of this very junction area 12. Then advantageously occurs the centering of the plug 2, through the clamp 13 of the station for taking over 101, 102, 103, 104, under the filling head 11 of this filling station 81, 82, 83, 84 present in this junction area 12. This results into the lowering of the filling head 11, which ensures, at that moment, the change of the taking up of the flexible bag 1 through its plug 2. The latter can then be released by the clamp 13 of the station 101, 102, 103, 104 that was in charge of it on the first rotary table 7.

Since the preferred solution described above avoids having to seize the plug of a flexible bag simultaneously by two different pairs of seizing clamps, each one associated with one of the rotary tables 7, 9, this largely facilitates the handling of the flexible bags with a small-size plug.

The present invention can however not be limited to such a design and it can perfectly be contemplated to also equip the filling stations 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 of this second rotary filling table 9 with clamps capable of seizing the plug 2 of a flexible bag 1 conveyed by the first rotary table 7.

As results from the preceding description, the present invention advantageously solves the problem met within the framework of the state of the art.

Though the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment, it is understood that it is in no way limited thereto and that various modifications of shapes, material and combinations of these various elements can be made without departing from the framework and the spirit of the invention. 

1. Method for packaging a sterile or non-sterile, liquid or semi-liquid, food product or the like, in a flexible bag, wherein through a first rotary table with multiple stations for taking over, successively and continuously, flexible bags from a table or a supply conveyor, a flexible bag continuously is placed at the level of a filling station of a second rotary filling table with multiple filling stations.
 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a flexible bag taken over by one of the stations of the first rotary table is placed at a substantially zero relative speed at the level of a filling station of the second rotary filling table.
 3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the centering of the plug of a flexible bag under a filling head of a filling station of the second rotary table is ensured through a clamp a station for taking over of the first rotary table is provided with.
 4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the taking over of a flexible bag by a filling station of the second rotary table is ensured only after centering, by the clamp of the corresponding station for taking over of the first rotary table, of the plug of this flexible bag under the filling head of said filling station.
 5. Process according to claim 1, wherein the first rotary table is provided with as many stations for the taking over of a flexible bag as the number of filling stations the second rotary filling table includes.
 6. Plant for implementing the method according to claim 1, comprising a first rotary table including several stations for successively and continuously taking over flexible bags from a table or a supply conveyor and a second rotary filling table with multiple filling stations for successively and continuously filling the flexible bags conveyed through the first table.
 7. Plant according to claim 6, wherein the first rotary table comprises a number of stations for taking over a flexible bag identical to the number of filling stations of the rotary filling table.
 8. Plant according to claim 6, wherein the first rotary table cooperates, through a junction area, with the second rotary table so that a flexible bag, in particular the filling plug of the latter, is subjected to a substantially zero speed with respect to said first and second rotary table by passing at the level of this junction area.
 9. Plant according to claim 7, wherein the first rotary table cooperates, through a junction area, with the second rotary table so that a flexible bag, in particular the filling plug of the latter, is subjected to a substantially zero speed with respect to said first and second rotary table by passing at the level of this junction area. 